Category: Sexting…..A slippery Slope

We live in a different world now. Modern technology has made it easy to commit a crime by accident. This is particularly true when it comes to communication over a smartphone. Young women now sometimes are sexually aggressive. This begins as early as middle school and particularly in high school. It is particularly confusing when it comes to “Sexting”. In high schools now girls sixteen and seventeen years old often send sexually explicit texts, including photographs, videos and “pics” showing themselves in various stages of undress, often nude. For an adult man engaged in “sexting”, confirming age is absolutely critical. It is not unlawful for a young adult woman to send naked pics or sexually stimulating videos. It happens often in the adult dating and social media sites. A man could meet a young woman in a bar, engage in conversation and then later exchange pics. In a bar you would normally assume the person is an adult of drinking age. What if that person later turns out to be sixteen or seventeen years old? All of a sudden it becomes felony possession of illegal images. A seventeen year old can engage in actual sex with a man under 24 but it is a crime to ask a seventeen year old to send a dirty pic. The law is really confusing and a trap for the unwary.
You have to know the actual age of people you are communicating with. Do not be bashful. They have phony identification to get into bars. Demand proof of age before sending or receiving anything sexually explicit. In Sex Stings, undercover cops will ask for a “pic”. Sending a dick pic to someone underage will land you in jail. Sarasota and Manatee County are long overdue for another “Sting”. As a sex crime lawyer I see lives ruined all the time by a single moment of indiscretion. Sexting in high school can ruin a student’s life forever. Imagine starting life as a registered sex offender. Imaging going into prison at the age of 18 or 19. Imaging being on sex offender probation for simply sending or receiving a video from a girl you thought was an adult. These cases are defensible and getting in touch with a lawyer who does this type of case is important. Not all criminal defense lawyers are experienced in sex crime defense and experience does make a difference. If you have any questions, call attorney Peter Aiken for a free consultation at 941 366 3506